Surface analysis of stationary shoulder friction stir processed AZ31B magnesium alloy

ABSTRACT

We propose a stationary shoulder friction stir process (SSFSP) to produce a smooth surface finish. The use of a stationary shoulder tool contributes to reducing the heat input during friction stir processing (FSP). Hence, a stationary shoulder tool is advantageous for FSP in heat sensitive alloys like magnesium. The present short communication investigates the surface finish of AZ31B magnesium alloy processed by SSFSP without using additional cooling. Surface analysis of the processed region was carried out by 2D and 3D surface mapping using digital microscopy. The surface mapping indicated that there was very little flash generation on the processed zone, while 3D mapping quantified the surface roughness in the longitudinal as well as transverse directions of the processing zone.

KEYWORDS:

• Stationary shoulder friction stir processing
• magnesium alloy
• surface finish

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Vivek Patel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9015-7372

Wenya Li http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5067-843X

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank for the financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Scientific Research and Technology Development Program of Guangxi) (2016YFB1100104).